The Good Schools Guide

We’ve contributed to Sencillo's new white paper, The True Cost of Education 2026.

Sencillo is a platform designed to help parents plan how they’ll fund their children’s education, step by step. The report takes a clear look at the full cost of education from ages 0–21, helping families understand the real financial commitment early on - so there are fewer surprises later.

It’s out now - download it here: https://www.sencillo.finance/join-us-download-whitepaper

Heads changing places: how important is leadership?

We’ll be asking a panel of heads what kind of leaders they are, who sets a school’s tone, what they chose to change - or protect - on taking up post, and how pressures such as VAT on fees are shaping decisions.

A discussion about leadership in schools today with:

Elizabeth Stone Wi******er College
Ravi Kothakota Emanuel School
Scott Crawford Lancing College

🎟️ link in bio. Join us in London tomorrow 📍RHS Lindley Hall, London SW1

Going private: moving from the state sector

Join us at for a discussion on what motivates families to move from the state sector, how schools support pupils who may feel behind academically or socially, how bursaries and assessments work and what the transition really involves.

Melanie Sanderson will be joined by:

Susan Wijeratna Latymer Upper School
Rick Clarke St James Senior Boys' School
Alastair Chirnside St Edward's School

📅 Saturday 28 February 2026
📍RHS Lindley Hall, London SW1

We look forward to seeing you there!

How important are buildings, facilities and location when choosing a school?

This Saturday Lucinda Lafferty will be asking heads how site, buildings and postcode affect costs; the advantages of city versus country; whether location shapes pupil and staff recruitment and why facilities dominate school tours.

Joining Lucinda on stage:

Katharine Woodcock Francis Holland School Regent's Park
Samantha Price Cranleigh School
Helen Pike Magdalen College School, Oxford

A discussion for families weighing up options and thinking carefully about what value really means. Register for your FREE ticket with the link in bio.

What do we really mean by a school’s ethos - and how much should it matter when choosing one?

Join us on this Saturday at Independent Schools Show as leading heads discuss who shapes a school’s ethos, whether it changes with leadership, how it affects academic life, and how families can assess the right fit.

Chaired by our Managing Editor, Melanie Sanderson, with panellists:

Adam Pettitt Highgate School
Mark Beard University College School
Kath Bransby Waldorf UK

Don’t miss it 🎟️ at link in bio.

What makes a good school?

Join us on Saturday 28 February at Independent Schools Show for two candid conversations with heads about what 'good' really means.

⏰ 10:30–11:15 chaired by Grace Moody-Stuart
Lindsey Hughes Channing School
David Benson Mill Hill School
Matthew Mostyn St Edmund's College and Prep, Old Hall Green

⏰ 15:00–15:45 chaired by Lucinda Lafferty
Chris Wolsey Ibstock Place School
Alex Hutchinson James Allen's Girls' School
Chris Hutchinson Royal Russell School

We’ll be asking whether academic excellence is essential, how schools balance kindness with rigour, whether they have obligations beyond their own pupils - and, candidly, what’s not so good about their own schools.

A practical discussion for parents considering what matters most. FREE 🎟️ in link in bio.

The primary school application deadline is a week away and our advice is simple; don't leave it to chance.

When we asked 2,000 parents of school aged children for their experience of choosing a school, almost a third said they worry their child won't fit in or be happy at the school they've chosen.

If you list only your preferred schools and leave choice slots blank, you risk missing out on all of them and being allocated a poorly performing, undersubscribed school two miles away.

Tap here for help with the application process and advice on how to list your choices https://ow.ly/xLO250XTuAv